Indian Prime Minister Modi expands ties on a visit to Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated construction work on a solar plant in neighboring Sri Lanka and witnessed the signing of energy and defense agreements seen as efforts to consolidate New Delhi’s influence in the debt-stricken island nation.

India has been concerned about China’s increasing presence in Sri Lanka, which is located on one of the world’s busiest shipping routes in what India considers part of its strategic backyard.

Beijing has provided Sri Lanka with billions of dollars in loans for development projects. But Sri Lanka’s economic collapse in 2022 changed the country’s priorities and provided an opportunity for India, as New ...
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